In 2015, then NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative with $1.2 Million funding. This paved the way for the creation of 21 worker cooperatives with 141 worker-owners all over NYC. The rise of worker cooperatives allowed for collective decision making, fostered workplace democracy, and shared profits among the worker-owners.
Damayan launched the Damayan Cleaning Cooperative, the first all-Filipino cleaning cooperative organized in the US. Owned and run by Damayan domestic worker and labor trafficking survivor members, the cooperative provided jobs, advocated better working conditions, and supported the membership and leadership development of its worker-owners.
“So it’s like, well, this is a way to provide economic opportunity. At the same time, it kind of opens up a new organizing space because it’s alongside the organizing work. So you can essentially get folks who are organizing, and then they have an opportunity to also lead in a parallel sort of organization. And the values are democratic values and solidarity.”
